Potentially unexplored territory to the Arts Block inclined, the extension to the Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, completed in 2002 by Grafton Architects, is an often overlooked and underrated thread within the fabric of Trinity’s architecture. An awkward site wedged in a corner of campus, it has been exploited to permit maximum use, encompassing teaching and research space and a podium which serves as an important pedestrian thoroughfare connecting campus and real life.

Dynamic geometries, projecting angles and overlapping massing are evidenced throughout, hallmarks for the acclaimed architectural firm. Somehow, these bold attributes do not jar with the building’s surroundings. Its sleek lines afford the design a fast rhythm and its clinical colouring manage to interact amicably with the nearby buildings of Lincoln Place and the masonry of the original 19th Century Parsons Building. This respectful quality is taken further — a tree is preserved by being allowed to pierce the podium. This design demonstrates the possibility of dialogue between the natural and built environments, and the historical and contemporary.

Photo by Stephen Moloney.